Fever
by 8bit Prince
Summary: Coming home was supposed to be a relaxing break from a writing career for Christina Castillo. But when the zombie apocalypse comes knocking at your door, relaxation isn't exactly the first thing on your mind. Joined by Alain Hirata, a young doctor, they'll try to survive and fight in the world that is swiftly crumbling before them. Will a cure turn up before worse comes to worst?
1. Home

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy and feel free to leave a review! Feedback is inspiration!**

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 **CHAPTER 1**

 **"Home"**

It is an understatement to say that New York catches a draft during the fall season. Even the trees would shiver from the relentless chilly breeze that would brush its cold fingers against its leaves. Winter was approaching- and fast. The cold was something I felt was more tolerable than a majority of things. I pulled my jacket closer and kept a firm grip on my suitcase as the distant beeping of cars sounded in the distance. I'd taken a taxi on the way home from New Jersey but I'd stopped a few blocks away just to see how the neighborhood was faring. And as far as I could tell, Staten Island was just as it was when I left it. I passed the intersection between Clove Rd. and Post Ave. The pavement of the sidewalk still had bits of weed peeking out from the cement. The old rundown gas station was still rotting in its own bed of gravel and termite infested wood.

The colorless autumn sky painted the pale blue buildings in a lifeless glow, as if the clouds themselves sucked the color from the houses, grass, cars even the lawn gnomes. But the familiarity of the streets brought a strange sense of security and warmth even in such cold and drowsy weather. Yes, I may make it sound a bit awful, but my memories of it were not all that bad. A low buzzing sounded from my back pocket. It must have been my sister calling to see how far I was from the house. My pace slowed a few steps as I pulled my phone from my pocket, answering the call.

"'You almost here yet?" Yup, I knew that voice anywhere.

"Yeah, Chloe, I'm nearly around the corner."

"I'll keep an eye out. Anyways, I heard you're still waiting on that magazine company to open a spot for your story. How's that going for ya'?"

I sighed, "I'm still waiting on the feedback. Honestly, I don't know if I had a good chance to begin with, but I might as well try, right?" I turned at the sharp intersection and saw the house up ahead.

"I know you can do it, kettlebug. You'll see, that email will come sooner than you know it."

I rolled my eyes, but a small smile peaked at my corners of my lips. "I can't believe you still call me that, Chlo. I'm 24 now, remember? Not 5." I was passing through our yard, silently greeting the stone rabbits and turtles that stood almost curiously in front of our porch. Surprisingly enough, the flowers my mom planted by the steps were still alive and fighting the cold. Their bright orange color of their petals popped in the paleness of nearly everything around it.

"You know that still doesn't change anything. Oh, I think I saw you from the window!" She'd hung up already before I could reply and I saw the front door open. Chloe approached me in her oversized T-shirt and fleece Eeyore sweatpants. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, a few stray strands falling to frame her face. She always jumped right into her pajamas the moment she stepped back into the house after an exhausting day at the office.

"Still a light traveler I see." She grinned and she held the door open as wide as it could go to help me and my luggage pass easily. I only brought the essentials that weren't already present in the house. There was no reason to bring along any extra items that would already be at your destination. "Oh my God, and how did you survive out there with that short haircut and no hat!" Hauling the suitcase up the stairs and doorstep, I gave a relieved huff as I was greeted with the comfortable heat, courtesy of our living room fireplace. Chloe closed the front door behind me and I leaned against it to remove my shoes, placing them on the nearby mat.

"Well, I did only bring what I needed. And it's not that cold, really." I shed my thick jacket and cardigan, laying them neatly over the arm of the couch. Not much was different other than the new plant pots that were traded for the shabby old ones. Everything was spotless thanks to Mom's daily cleaning. Not a knick-knack was out of place on the entertainment shelf. Not one of them had a speck of dust either. The sofa covers were smoothed and folded neatly to conform to the chair. The piano still sat patiently in the living room. It was a rather new addition to the house actually and neither me nor Chloe had the time to learn how to play it. The living room TV was powered own, tuned to the HBO Family Movie channel.

"It's really nice to have you back, Chris." Her arms had pulled me into a silly hug as she swayed her body from side to side.

"Aaaw, it's really nice to see you too." I smiled widely and returned her tight embrace, swaying to her tempo. Oh, I haven't mentioned the reason why I was visiting home, have I? You must be wondering what I was doing here. No? Ah, well. Nonetheless, I came back to take some time off and spend time with sister. In fact, it's been nearly 2 years since I've seen her. Though we've texted every once a while, we haven't been able to see each other in person. Ever since we split paths for college, we've both been too preoccupied to schedule anything else than work. In our younger years, Chloe and I did not get along as well as we do now- a simple sibling rivalry, was all. Not to sound rough around the edges, but not seeing each other every waking second of the day seemed to have remedied the tension between us. Same goes for my parents. Speaking of parents, Chloe seemed to have been the only one in the house.

Releasing me, Chloe settled back into the sofa with her laptop as I went off to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. I called out to her, "So where are Mom and Dad? I thought they had the day off."

"Huh, I thought I mentioned it to you before; Mom's caught a bad cold and Dad said she'd better stay at the hospital. He's just being cautious, though. She'll be out in a few days, it's nothing serious."

"Damn, really? We should at least give her a call later to see how she's doing."

I spent the reminder of the day sitting back and watching movies with Chloe, relishing the thought of not having to catch up with a deadline or sit awake at the wee hours of the night, typing away at my laptop. It'd been quite a while since the last time I was able to loosen up. Ever since I graduated from college, I've been working day and night on my most recent novel. My professors advised that I should lose the tense shoulders and take my time writing it, as fast progress usually results in unsatisfactory outcomes. Although I was never one to rush my work, the lingering thought of a piling tuition began to breathe down my neck. Chloe had eventually convinced me that if I didn't slow down, my writing will take the brunt of the fault. She proposed that I take a short break, gather my thoughts, and I would return to my work like new.

Later that night, Chloe and I finally decided to contact the hospital Mom was being kept at. Using the home phone and taking a seat at the living room long table, we waited as it rang. Seconds after, the secretary at the door had picked up our call. We asked to be linked to the room my mother was resting in and she happily obliged. She transferred the call and my mother picked up the phone. Her voice was thick, groggy and congested through the phone. She was pretty sick, that was for sure.

Though I knew she couldn't see my smile, I knew she felt it in my voice, "Hey, Mom. Chloe told me you've been feeling under the weather."

"The doctor says it's only a minor flu but your father wants to make sure of it. You know how cautious he is about these things."

Chloe piped in next to me, "We all want you to feel better as soon as possible."

We heard her give a faint, soft chuckle. "Don't you two worry; I'll be fine. So Chris, how was the trip back home? It's pretty chilly out there, huh? I hope you bundled up well."

I nodded, "Yup, coat and all. Is Dad there with you right now?"

"He just left for the bathroom. I can tell him you two called. It really won't be long, though. The doctors expect that I would be able to leave by tomorrow morning anyway."

"That sounds great! We should probably let you rest now, huh? I've got a lot to tell you when you come back."

She laughed again, "I'll be glad to hear it all. Remember to turn on the porch lights before you go to bed! And Chloe, please watch the stove if you're boiling water and don't blow up the house while we're gone." There she went, talking to us as if we were still kids. She had a tendency to repeat things like a record player.

While I suppressed a grin, Chloe groaned and slumped in her chair and let out a drawl, "Ok, Mom." We gave our goodbyes in unison before hanging up. I took the phone . My sister sat back down on the couch, leaning forward with her eyes glued on her laptop, which she'd set down on the glass coffee table. It was nearly midnight and I planned to head to bed soon. Chloe tended to sleep whenever she wanted to. I joined her on the other side of the chair, watching the TV with half lidded eyes. Courage the Cowardly Dog was on, so I decided to stay awake just a little longer.

I heard Chloe speak up next to me, "Hey, did you hear about what went on in Georgia? The one where someone mysteriously caught this disease that killed him, and then brought his body back to life?" She changing the tempo of 'mysteriously' for a dramatic effect.

I glanced at her, "Oh yeah. Skeptical stuff, really. Why do you ask?"

"Yeah...It's just that I was thinkin'...you don't suppose Mom caught it right?" She looked at me, brow knit upwards with tentative worry.

I turned my head to face her with an incredulous expression. "Seriously? I mean, I highly doubt it. The doctors said Mom only had a minor flu. Well, yeah we're in the colder months now and the flu is becoming common, but I heard that the virus was contained in a hospital in Georgia as soon as it was reported. I don't think we have anything to worry about."

She kept her eyes on me for a few seconds before shifting her gaze back to her laptop with pursed lips. "You've got a point." She appeared convinced, but I saw a fleeting glint of doubt and nervousness in her eyes. It was some bogus story the news was spouting. Apparently someone in Georgia showed signs of contracting a strange disease. A few hours later, the person was declared dead. And lo and behold, another few hours later , they stood right back up like a daisy. I'm not saying I don't believe that the contracted virus is something scientists and doctors may not have encountered before or that I know any better, but I have trouble imagining that it somehow reanimated a corpse. Besides, we already knew that Mom just had the flu. We had nothing to worry about. With a wide yawn, I stood from the couch and announced that I was heading to bed early. After months of getting less sleep than I should, a comfy bed sounded very welcoming.

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	2. Peculiar

**CHAPTER 2**

 **"Peculiar"**

"Chloe, I'm gonna visit Seaview Hospital and catch a ride back with Mom and Dad, ok!" I called to her from the front door. Hearing her shout a muffled 'Sure' from the bathroom, I left the house and headed to the bus stop. It was about 9 AM and after throwing on a cream sweat, leggings and boots, I decided to go say hello to my parents. The hospital wasn't too far away so the trip would not be so much of a hassle. By the time I reached the bus stop, it had already arrived and I broke into a mid jog to catch up with it. I stopped behind the small group and waited to get onto the bus.

The trip itself wasn't too bad. I never did mind taking the bus. Some months ago, I did receive my driver's permit but as I found that I wanted to enjoy bus rides for just a while longer, it eventually expired. In light of trying to finish my book, I never was able to renew it. Not that I minded.

In nearly 18 minutes, the bus came to stop in front of the hospital. I went up to the front desk and with the help of the secretary, found the room number my parents were in: 306. As I strolled through the lobby and halls I noticed that it was a quite busy day. Needless to say, winter was fast approaching.

After a seemingly short trip up the stairwell and to the third floor, I found the room. "Housekeeping!" I knocked on the door and stuck my head through the crack in the door with a humorous grin. Mom was in the middle of making the bed and turned her head as she heard my voice. The daylight floating into the room caught the floors and walls in a milky white glow.

"Oh! Chris, I didn't know you'd be coming here!" She laughed and approached me with open arms. I held her tightly and smiled from cheek to cheek on the crook of her neck. As we came apart, her hands rested on my arms.

"I just wanted to see you guys. So how are you feeling?" I found that she still looked as bad as she sounded on the phone just yesterday. Her face was pale and her dark, but graying brown locks were pulled up in a messy bun. She wore a surgical face mask but I knew she was smiling widely from the wrinkles on the corners of her eyes. I knew she wouldn't let some silly illness smother her bubbly personality.

She huffed and shook her head, "Well, better than yesterday, I suppose. I can't exactly stay here too long anyway. There are other people who need this room more than I do."

"Juliet? Are you re-"Dad had emerged from the door I came in from and his eyes widened as they came upon me. "Chris! When did you come in?" He moved toward me and pulled me into one of his famous bear hugs. I chuckled as he shifted and patted my back. Ah, his hair line was ever receding. We would always joke about the patch, or "island", that rested on the top of his head. He was a quiet man so we were never quite sure if it bothered him but in the end, it didn't seem like it did.

"I actually just got in." I glanced behind me and took a seat on the chair against the wall, waiting for my parents to wrap things up.

"Well, I think we're all set right now." He turned to Mom and laid a hand on her shoulder, " _Handa ka na ba?_ (Are you ready?)"

She nodded and motioned for me to follow them. "We should check out at the lobby." Dad held the door open for us and we headed for the stairwell.

Of course, the hospital did not change that much either. I noticed the same workers around the hallways, some of them we all greeted because they were good friends of Mom's who also knew me since childhood. The walls were still painted in an off baby blue with framed still life paintings interrupting it. The floors- well, they were glossy as ever. Mom and Dad were at front counter as we finally arrived back at the lobby and I actually noticed something different. Near the entrance, there were now two mosaic memorials instead of three. I wondered what happened to the third one. Mom said that they were recovered from the old, abandoned tuberculosis hospital right across the street.

With the paper work completed and set, we made our way to the parking lot. My parent's car wasn't too far from the entrance- it was the old Honda Odyssey I'd ridden in since I was a child. My Dad had his Mercedes in the garage, but tended to use the Honda more often. Stepping into the car, I felt around my pockets for my phone, but my patting was fruitless. Giving the car's floor and seats a quick look over, I realized that my phone wasn't on me or in the car at all. "Shoot, I think I forgot my phone in the room! I'll be right back!"

As my made my way towards the ward with a quick pace, my gaze was drawn to the window. The sky was finally clearing up and the sun was peeing through the blanket of clouds. My eyes went lower. The parking lot appeared more crowded from the third floor. In fact, it looked to be the fullest I've ever seen it. Though I really should have been watching where I was going because only moments later, I clumsily bumped into some innocent stranger. I stopped in my tracks to snap my gaze to whoever I'd collided with but before I could stutter a quick apology, they beat me to it.

"I'm sorry, a-are you alright?" It was a man, probably in his late twenties. A gloved hand gripped the handle of a briefcase while the other was raised slightly to see if the collision did any drastic harm.

I smiled and started uneasily, "I'm fine, but are _you_ okay? I should be the one apologizing; I should have watched where I was going."

He laughed lightly, but he seemed distracted- or perhaps slightly agitated to stretch it. Hopefully it wasn't from our little crash course. "Please, you don't have to fret about it." He adjusted his glasses, and gave a slight bow of the head, "Still, I'm sorry for the trouble. But I should get going. You have a good day, ma'am." I watched as he walked off in a brisk stride towards the lobby, head low. Clearly he was in a hurry. I shrugged the event off and entered the room, hoping my phone was still there. I gave the room a quick once over and sure enough, my phone was still on the chair. I sighed in sweet relief and made my way back to the car.

The rest of the day carried on in a casual, unperturbed fashion; laced with nostalgic memories and comfortable silence. We sat around the dinner table, enjoying my dad's "special" Beef Kaldereta that he cooked to welcome me home. It's been about a year since I was able to sit and enjoy a meal. During high school, I never did cherish the small chats and laughs we would all share during the rare times we were able to all eat together. We exchanged stories and caught up with each other's lives. Before I knew it, the food wasn't the only thing that was warming the atmosphere.

Mom, however, still needed some time to recover from the flu. As much as she wanted to spend time with her daughters, Dad thought it'd be safer for us if she stayed in her room until the flu rode itself out. He'd decided to stay with her and make sure she took her medicine. Chloe and I passed the time by playing old video games on the PS1 we decided to keep for some odd reason that eluded us. Occasionally, we'd drop by our parent's room and share some snacks we had around the living room. Spyro pledged to still be quite entertaining because Chloe and I never realized it was almost 1 AM. We cleaned up our mess and while she decided to sleep upstairs, I chose to stay in the living room and watch TV for just a bit longer.

The next day, I'd woken up on the couch. As I blinked to shake off the sleep form my eyes, I noticed the TV I'd accidentally forgot to turn off before falling asleep was still on. I glanced at the clock in the entertainment center. It was 11 AM. I tossed over on the couch to rest my eyes just a little longer and bask in the comfort of sleep, dismissing the low murmur of the TV. The house itself was quiet as a mouse. I listened to nothing but the white noise of the ticking of the clock, the splashing aquarium water, and the voices from the TV that came out as whispers. The house was quiet…A bit too quiet actually. I opened my tired eyes again and lifted my head slightly to look around the living room. My mother was usually up and awake by 9 AM, moving about the house in morning chores. By this time, I'd usually hear her in the kitchen, fixing up breakfast. With a soft groan, my head dropped back down onto the pillow. I pushed the blanket off of my body and swung my legs around from the couch and onto the carpet.

I soon missed the warmth of the blanket as I found that the house was much colder than it was last night. I gathered it form the couch and wrapped it around my shoulder, wearing it almost like a cloak as the ends dragging on the carpet. I made my way towards the fireplace and prepped it with tinder. The draft was proper and I retrieved a match from the match box on the mantle. My eyes were still narrow from sleep as I lit the match and bent down to fire up the tinder. The paper took to the fire well and I waited for it to rise and lick at the piece of log above. Ensuring that the fire was stable and alive, I stood and looked out the front window. I caught a glimpse of my parent's car in the driveway so I knew for sure that they hadn't gone anywhere too far. Regardless, the house was usually busy by this time of day. Maybe they were all still asleep? I surveyed the house, checking the first floor bathroom, kitchen, and backyard. There was still no sign of anyone. Yawning, I made my way upstairs with heavy steps. All the doors were still closed but I could see the daylight from the windows inside each.

 _Crunch…Squelch…_

What was that? I stopped as my ears caught something very peculiar. My brows furrowed as I listened closely. It sounded like someone was feasting on something. It was coming from Chloe's room. For a second, I'd thought she woke up early with a voracious appetite, but I knew she wouldn't eat in such the way as I was hearing. I grasped the cold metal of the doorknob and turned it, peeking cautiously and quietly into the room. There, in the middle of the room, a hunched figure was bent over my sister's bed. My eyes went into focus. Red. The sheets were red. The wall was splattered with red.

"Chloe?"

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	3. Family

**CHAPTER 3**

 **"Family"**

"Chloe?"

At the sound of my voice, the figure turned its head and I swore I felt my blood run cold. Whoever or whatever it was - it looked like Mom. It had her face and her body, but when I looked in its eyes I knew it wasn't my mother. Thick, red blood dripped from its gaping, drenched mouth. My feet were frozen in place and I couldn't move. I thought my heart had stopped beating. I looked at what it'd been gorging itself with on the bed and my stomach flipped. Chloe was lying on the blood stained bed, her stomach ripped open. Her eyes had rolled back to its whites, her mouth hanging with blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. What guts that were not yet consumed hung from her abdomen. I couldn't even speak or move as the creature stood slowly, shoulders hunched and head low. I didn't notice it but tears had already begun to trail down my cheeks. Only when the creature let out a shriek, I fell backwards and found my voice.

"Dad…Dad!" I scrambled up and sprinted for my parent's room. I pushed the door open frantically, but I soon discovered that my father would not be able to help me anymore. His body was in the same state as Chloe's. Only his limbs and innards were completely gone. I couldn't even tell the bed sheet's original color from the thick layer of blood and stray flesh that smothered it. Behind me, the creature rushed forward with outstretched hands. It was too late to reach out to slam the door on it, and it was following me so closely- I had no choice but to flee into my parent's bathroom. It rushed forward and I evaded its grasping hands. It hurtled through the shower curtain and the pole snapped under the weight, bringing the fabric down over it.

I was quick to grab the pole while it struggled under the curtain, which it was soon able to throw it off. My hands trembling, I used the pole to push it back and shove it back against the bathtub. With its temporary immobilization, I sprinted out of the bathroom. My vision seemed to have narrowed as I came to the hallway, my sights only set on running away. But then something grabbed my shoulders and pinned me against the wall. It was Chloe. Correction: it was her body. Its eyes had shown that my sister was no longer there. I kept its biting teeth at bay with my arms, tears welling up in my eyes.

My voice came as a choked sob, "Chloe…" Powered by my fear and agony, I shoved her back and ran for the stairs, my feet practically flying down each step. It fell down the steps behind me and when I reached the bottom, it didn't miss a beat in grabbing my ankles. I grunted as my shoulder hit the tile floor.

"Fuck!" I hissed and rolled over onto my back, stunned with the pain that shot up my arms and shoulders. Glancing down, I saw the creature slowly creeping up on me with its hand still clamped around my ankle and panic stiffened my muscles. I used my hands to push myself away from it, kicking at its face with hopes of throwing it off. I gave it one last kick and that seemed to do the trick as it fell backwards onto the fireplace. Its hair and skin and clothes all caught fire quickly, but I didn't waste the time to watch and made a beeline for the kitchen.

I yanked the drawers open and my hands dug around frantically for something sharp. It didn't take long until I found my father's butcher knife. But it didn't take too long for the creature to catch up with me either. I turned as I heard its growls and gurgling. Its body was aflame now and by the faint light coming from the living room, I assumed it was on fire now as well. It approached me slowly and I pressed my back against the counter, grasping the knife in a tight grip. Just as I braced myself to drive it deep into its burning skull, my face was sprayed with blood. I flinched as the thick liquid splattered onto my cheeks and watched my sister's body fell to the kitchen floor, lying in a pool of her own blood as her body continued to burn. My hand still trembled as it gripped the knife, my knuckles turning white. Before I could snap my gaze to whoever killed it, they grabbed my arm.

It was the man from the hospital. He grabbed my arm and pulled the backyard door open, seeing as to the living room was currently ablaze. I couldn't register the situation as fast as he was pulling me. We went back around and through the fence door leading to the yard. His voice was muffled to me but I knew he was shouting something urgent. I struggled to pull against his grip to look back at my house. The fire had spread quickly and the flames could be seen raging behind the front window. This was my home. This was my childhood. I saw my family's faces in the second story window. They stared down at me with soft yet somber smiles. The stranger's hand tugged me back, "We have to leave! More of them are coming-"

"Wait! My family is in there! I-I need to save them!" I shouted over the crackling of the spreading flames and struggled against the arms that held me back. They were still in there. I couldn't leave without them.

"If you go in there, you'll die too!"

Flames burst from the second story window and the glinting glass fell like snowflakes. I could still see them standing there. My family was still in the house. Yet, another voice nagged at the back of my mind, 'You saw their bodies. They're burning in that fire. There's no way they could be alive. They're already dead.' I was so frustrated and scared-

"Let me go! I can't-"My throat was starting to close up again. Through the tears I sown I could see Mom, Dad, and Mom looking back at me from my bedroom window on the second floor. "I can't leave them! I can't leave my family!" Tears stung at the corner of my eyes. There was something somber in their eyes as the flames danced wildly behind them. My head began to pound as my strength ebbed away like a choked river. The stranger stepped in front of me, holding me close to his chest so that his body blocked my family from my view. My sobs came in strangled gasps, my hands tightly gripping the cloth of his sweatshirt. Tears leaked out from the corners of my tightly shut eyes. I could still hear the flames. I'd nearly gone limp now.

"Those things aren't your family anymore, Ms. Castillo." His voice sounded faint to me. Somewhere nearby, I heard low groans and growls, but I didn't bother to look. I wanted my family back. He took my shoulders and turned me away from my burning house. "We have to go. It's too dangerous to stay here." Through my tear clogged eyes, I could see blurry figures limping and hobbling about in the distance…

* * *

The adrenaline in my veins had long subsided and left my body weak. My companion whose name escapes me hasn't said a word since we got in his car and drove off in a hurry. But then again, neither have I. We've been sitting in silence for a long while now. I think we're on the way out of the city. It was strange. Nothing crossed my mind yet it felt so full. I stared out the window. I still haven't figured out if this was all a dream yet, but I had a hunch that it wasn't.

As we drove by, I laid back in the chair, my head turned to stare out the window. I noticed that the neighborhood was not what it used to be. I thought I was in a whole different city. It was so quiet- I didn't hear anything besides the low hum of the car engine. Cars sat patiently askew on the sidewalks. Trash cans were pushed over, their contents strewn all over the street. There were no early morning joggers- no pet walkers. Nope, none of that. Instead, I saw more of those…things. What was this scenario called again? The living dead? I really didn't know what to make of it. They would hobble around anywhere their feet could step, sometimes turning their heads to watch our car pass by with their dead, sunken eyes. None of it felt particularly real.

Suddenly, the driver finally decided to speak. "I'm sorry for…what happened back there." I looked over to him. His slicked, black hair was still slightly tousled. I noticed spots of blood littered his yellow dress shirt and grey sweater. His tone was tentative. "Are you feeling alright now?"

I nodded. My voice came hoarse. "I'm fine. I uh…never thanked for getting me out of there, huh?" My chuckle was brisk. She wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for him. She owed him some heavy stuff... "So...who are you, exactly? And how…how did you find me? You knew my name too."

"I-I'm sorry for not introducing myself before, I thought it was best to give you space." Keeping his eyes on the road to avoid any misplaced debris, he shifted to remove the pen from behind his ears and tap a medium sized stack of papers on the dashboard. I gathered them together and sifted through. They were medical records and lists of contact information. "I'm Alain Hirata. I'm a doctor from Emory University Hospital in Atlanta." I eyed the leather harness strapped onto his chest and the two machetes that were attached to it. A loaded pistol was sheathed at his belt. He looked far too armed to be a doctor but I didn't question it. "The other staff and I received some blood tests from someone working at your hospital- Seaview. We didn't expect to find anything different, but when I was examining your mother's blood samples and I found that they were … changing rapidly- I can't exactly describe it. They were mutating so quickly. We found that what was going on inside her was the same from what we observed with the patient whose body…reanimated itself even after they were confirmed deceased.

I came here as fast I could and I tried to explain the situation to your hospital administrator, but he brushed off my warning- said that it was impossible that his staff wouldn't notice the virus. As soon as all this happened, I went back to Seaview to find the addresses of those who were infected to see if I could do something- anything." He took a deep breath and shook his head. "But the infection spread faster than I expected. The entire hospital staff was too far gone. I just barely escaped with the files. As expected, none of the patients listed on the documents survived and neither did those who lived with them. That is, until I found you. I'm glad at least you were able to make it in this disaster..."

So that's how it was…My mother was sick. Everyone thought it was the flu- how couldn't it be? When news spread about the incident in Georgia, we all expected it to be over and done with, just like that. Besides, a dead body coming back to life was the stuff of legends. "…So where are you taking me, exactly?" I didn't meant to sound suspicious of him but it seemed that was how he took it.

"I mean, if you have to be somewhere, you're free to go. It's just that I don't think it's safe to go alone." He frowned and adjusted his glasses. "My plan for now is to head back to Emory and pick up any research I did on the infection- see if I can somehow...repress it or even cure it. But seeing how the virus made it all the way here, I'm sure Georgia is a mess right now too."

I _didn't_ have anywhere to be. And he was right; it wasn't safe to go alone. Not when the world had decided to keel over. But I was afraid of holding him back on his plan and I just couldn't muster the courage to say I would be okay in this hellhole and actually mean it. Heck, I didn't even know how to use a gun properly- I never found a reason to learn how. "If it's alright, can I m-maybe come alone with you?"

"Sure, if that's what you really want."

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